The Hotel Riu Oliva Beach, located in the municipality of La Oliva, in Fuerteventura, has received a prestigious accolade from the Government of the Canary Islands: The Tourism Canary Islands Award for International Promotion of the Archipelago. This award acknowledges excellence in the tourism sector and is bestowed upon companies or institutions that have excelled in promoting the Canary Islands abroad.
In this regard, the Riu Oliva Beach Hotel has successfully projected the image of Fuerteventura and the entire Canary Archipelago as a top-tier tourist destination, playing a pivotal role in the development of tourism and contributing to the common progress of Canarian society.
"We are truly grateful for this award," commented the CEOs of the Riu hotel chain, Carmen and Luis Riu, on hearing the news. "Being recognized is always great satisfaction, but in this case, it holds a very special meaning for the magnificent team at the hotel," they said, highlighting the dedication and effort of their entire staff in achieving this milestone.
Constructed in the 1970s, the hotel became part of the RIU chain in 1995. The Oliva Beach not only played a pivotal role in Fuerteventura's development, creating hundreds of jobs, providing training, and generating wealth for the island's communities, but it also paved the way, becoming an international tourism landmark situated in a unique location and leading the way in portraying the excellence of Fuerteventura and the Canary Islands to the world.
Today, the hotel remains highly relevant to the community of La Oliva municipality, contributing directly or indirectly to the creation of 600 jobs. Furthermore, it has established a historic connection with the people of Fuerteventura, especially with those residing in the northern part of the island, who consider it part of their cultural heritage.
The Riu Oliva Beach Hotel continues to fulfill this role today, with an economic impact of €13.6 million in annual revenue for the island, as indicated by official data collected by the La Oliva City Council. However, the real economic impact for Fuerteventura surpasses €27 million when considering the spending by hotel guests throughout the year.
The high occupancy rates at the resort demonstrate its strong appeal in the international market. Last year, the hotel hosted more than 66,000 guests from 141 different countries, with German visitors comprising 43% of the total, and the United Kingdom representing 17% of the total.
As an additional testament to the hotel's significant economic importance to the island, the Fuerteventura airport currently receives two daily flights due to the influx of guests generated by the RIU chain hotels in Corralejo: the renowned Riu Tres Islas and the aforementioned Riu Oliva Beach. Together, these hotels accommodated more than 91,000 guests last year.
In conclusion, the Tourism Canary Islands Award for International Promotion of the Archipelago conferred upon the Riu Oliva Beach Hotel is a recognition of its pioneering role in opening up the Canary Islands to the international tourism market, which has been essential for the successful development of the Archipelago over the past half-century. The award will be received by a group of hotel employees who will represent the entire staff at the ceremony to be held on September 27th at the Espacio de las Artes in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The hotel chain is committed to maintaining and consolidating this establishment, which has not undergone renovation since 2004, as a tourism benchmark for the region, ensuring it continues to serve as an example of sustainability and coexistence between the tourism industry, the environment, and the genuine needs of the local population.
Both Carmen and Luis Riu hope that "in the coming months, Oliva Beach will begin renovation works to offer the quality that this wonderful destination, its guests, and its employees truly deserve."
